Ominous presence

I don't find this image or its subject ominous in the least, so I'm a bit nonplussed by the title. There are no weapons or other threats in evidence, either overt or implied. I think the composition is strong and tells a compelling story, in that the serviceman is just another commuter on the escalator from the subway. The view limited to hands, legs, and feet make the soldier just an anonymous person, if slightly more distinguishable, just like all the other commuters (who are implied but mostly not seen). I don't care for the excess sharpening artifacts in the surface of the metal. I do like the choice of B&W for processing, as it brings the soldier's uniform and the various metal components into the same visual range, making the soldier less of an anomaly and more a fitting and natural component of the environment. Rather than being ominous I think this image humanizes the soldier. I find myself asking if the clothes define the person, and would my perception of the person in this uniform be any different if he were wearing cut-off shorts, a business suit, or running gear? (I hope not, at least for me. I work with military people routinely, and my wife is ex-Navy.)

I think maybe the woman with her dark eyes and stare is the ominous presence. I think she's the best part of the photo.

All lines converge to the male groin. What the hand is touching is suggestive. He is shown only from the waist down. The metal walls remind me of a zoo. The woman has wings.

Photo has great impact. The black soldier is not really ominous although the lighting and chiaoscuro is dramatic. The women does seem rather "spawn of the devil" like, and she is an important part of the image. The metallic and clothing textures really make the shot.

This is not ominous but messy presence. This soldier should sit behind the bars and wait until his sergeant will arrive.

It feels predatory to me, the authoritarian male from waist down, and the female who looks wary and uncomfortable small and insignificant. A profound image, and nice POW.

muy buen punto de vista, y la magia de esta foto esta en la mujer en en lado izquierdo de la foto, saludos